Painting With Rattle Cans

[Dokken2112]

Hey Ive been looking around this site for the last few months and this is my first post.
But anyways I'm wondering if anyone here has been able to achieve close to a factory finish using spray cans?
Ive been thinkin about putting a new guitar together for a while and want to paint it myself, so is it possible to achieve a good finish with rattle cans?

 

[marty_p]

RE:

Great question. You'll know that incredible finishes are possible once you view some of the tool box, frig, and cabinet restorations on this site.

IMO, I like the less-expensive store/off-brands. I've tried the $5 epoxy cans from K and RO, but even shaken like crazy, they always had too much splatter for my liking. Give me HD's 'America's Finest' any day for gloss black projects.

The recipe for a great spray can paint finish always includes meticulous prep work, a dust-free work area, super-light coats, ample drying time b/w coats, and light sanding b/w coats. I will typically apply 15 - 20 reps of the above to a piece over a weekend -- just work on other things during the process!

Good luck, and keep us posted!

 

[djjsr]

Since you're going through all of the work to build a guitar, you probably want a finish that's durable. Some of the cheap paints go on pretty nice but damage easily. I suggest that you go to an automotive paint store and see what they have in rattle cans. Most of those guys really know their stuff and can tell you what to use to do it right the first time so you can avoid doing it twice.

 

[UncleJoe]

Yes you can do a first class job with rattle cans if the job is small. A guitar is a good example of the size that would work.

Take your time. 98% of the work to make any paint job look great comes before you ever touch the paint. Prep is critical. Have a good way to hold the piece while painting. I like to hang a piece or have it sit on a stand where only an unseen area touches the stand.

I would build a temp spray booth with a filter and fan to pull away fumes and dust. Dupilcolor paint available at most autoparts store would be my choice. I would not mix brands of paint. Follow the mfg instructions regarding time between coats. Some paint needs to be laid down on the previous coat withing 15 minutes to bond. A cheap kitchen times is handy for this. Use a clear coat by the same mfg to protect the finish and give you that glossy depth in the finish.

Remember that paint will not hide poor prep. Make the finish flawless before you ever reach for that paint can.

 

[krooser]

You can do a great job if you do good prep work and color sand and polish the final finish. Make sure you put on enough color and/or clear to make up for what you will remove when sanding.

I did a flame job on an old Cort strat copy years ago and it looked pretty good for my first attempt.

 

[Brinskan]

In addition to having a spotless work area and making sure the item you are painting has been cleaned with some sort of prep-solv or acetone (depending on the material) I also find heating up the paint works well. Usually I will just use hot water from the tap in a bucket and let the cans soak for a few minutes. Obviously you do not want to use boiling water. Just warm enough to make it hot to the touch. Not sure exactly why, just makes the paint flow better and more evenly. You may also want to invest in some better spray caps if you are using a traditional style paint can. Check out online stores that specialize in graffiti stuff. But becareful, some of those caps spray way too fast. I have always been a fan of the "german caps"

 

[drabe]

Well, it kind of depends on what your painting. I painted a bicycle recently using only Dupli-Color rattle can products, from primer to clear (following the usual prep, dry times). The paint looked great but boy did it scratch real easy! Now I see why the bike guys are powdercoating instead of painting!
Anyway, I'm saying it depends on what you are painting. If it's something that's going to be used a lot the finish may not hold up. If it's something that's just going to sit there and look pretty then you'll probably be all right.

 

[sixball]

Can't reapeat enough, but prep work prep work prep work. Also get alcohol prep wipes to wipe it down after handling it. Your hand have grease on them that you can't see. Also a tack cloth for the fine dust particals that you can't see.

Wet snading inbetween coats and then cleaning off with the prep wipe each time.

Lastly the best clear coat I have found is a product called spraymax, it is a 2 part clear that self mixes the hardner in the can once you activate it. This gives a real clear coat finish just as if you shot it with a compressor and gun. It's about 25 bucks, but well worth it. Tough as nails and looks real "deep"

I've painted with both a compressor/gun and rattle cans and, trust me, spraymax is the way to go, but you'll have to wear a mask with the filters in it, as it is just like shooting with a gun/compressor.

Sixball

 

[Rosco]

If you have the time and a place to wait for a long cure, Rustolium spray can gives an awesome paint job and is very durable. The cure takes a long time though, not to the touch but for final hardening with no "fresh paint" smell.

 

[djd99]

One can not say this enough but the prep work is just as critical as the paint work, Go buy a gallon of wax and grease remover from carquest or your local paint supplier and use it between every step.It wouldn't hurt to start with a self etching primer and use several light coats with a light sanding between each coat. Also make sure you buy several tack rags and also do a light wipe after each decreasing. Then when your sure your prep work looks good take some 600 grit wet dry paper and sand the entire project and once again degrease and tack and now you should be ready to paint.

 

[Stuey]

You can achieve a great finish with rattle cans, or you can end up with severe orange peel. As the others said, it will depend on your prep work and careful intermediate sanding steps.

 

[drabe]

One can not say this enough but the prep work is just as critical as the paint work, Go buy a gallon of wax and grease remover from carquest or your local paint supplier and use it between every step.It wouldn't hurt to start with a self etching primer and use several light coats with a light sanding between each coat. Also make sure you buy several tack rags and also do a light wipe after each decreasing. Then when your sure your prep work looks good take some 600 grit wet dry paper and sand the entire project and once again degrease and tack and now you should be ready to paint.

Another thing I noticed is after priming, I used wax & grease remover (can't remember the exact brand - something like Klean Prep or something like that) and it started wiping off the primer (softens it really) if left on too long. That being said be careful how long you leave the w & g remover on (I didn't leave it on any longer than it took to grab a clean rag and wipe off the w & g remover).
I can only guess that one brand w & g remover may be 'hotter' than others. So do like they say 'Test in an inconspicuous area first'.

It could be that the Dupli-Color paints I'm using just aren't as durable as say Krylon or Rustoleum.

 

[Matt M PA]

For guitar, I'd see what Stew-Mac offers. I know they alot to DIY luthiers.

 

[sctattooer]

You can do anything with rattle cans. Just follow the above advice, take your time, and be prepared to be meticulous. Never paint anything unless it's primed, and 3M scuff pads are your friend.

This was done with rattle cans:

 

[stricht8]

If you have the time and a place to wait for a long cure, Rustolium spray can gives an awesome paint job and is very durable. The cure takes a long time though, not to the touch but for final hardening with no "fresh paint" smell.

I've had great results with rust oleum.

 

[buildyourown]

I've done some very high-end bicycles with rattle cans. Hard to justify money on a paint job that will just get scratched up in 2 months.

Warm the cans in hot water - this will greatly cut down on the orange peel.

Sand with ~600 grit wet/dry between coats and before clear.

You can also go to a good auto body supply place and get premium paint and clears in a can.

As with any paint job, 90% of the results are in the prep.

 

[Ex-Pat]

For guitar, I'd see what Stew-Mac offers. I know they alot to DIY luthiers.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supplies.html

This is by far the best way to go especially if you have a sunburst in mind

Also agree 99% preparation 1% application... good luck and post pix of the finished project

 

[tcianci]

Once the surface has been properly cleand and gone over with wax and grease remover, there's no need to use it again unless you know that it has been re-contaminated. It has solvents in it and as you have noticed, it re activates the sprayed primer.

 

[e-tek]

So, how important is prep work???

 

[PassnThru]

You can do anything with rattle cans. Just follow the above advice, take your time, and be prepared to be meticulous. Never paint anything unless it's primed, and 3M scuff pads are your friend.

This was done with rattle cans:

That is amazing. I could see an air brush for detail like that but not normal rattle cans. How was that done? Was tape involved or was it all freehand?

 

[mkdive]

Also if your using rattle cans, soak the cans in warm-hot water for 10-15 minutes. Of course not boiling water! But the warm water will help atomize the paint when it leaves the nozzle and create a finer spray. I tried this years ago...and swear by it if I'm looking to get the best spray pattern I can out of an ordinary rattle can.

 

[6th Gear]

I use a lot of Dupli-Color & VHT paints. Lacquer paint dries softer than Enamel, so look into which type you're buying. Both are softer than Urethane (modern OEM finishes)
Enamel is more resistant to chemicals, gas than Lacquers are.
Key is prep as mentioned, and light coats. The final coat can be a little heavier (wet coat) but the biggest mistake is seeing people use thick coats and then the paint never cures properly. You can always wet sand to remove orange peel.

Here's a valve cover I painted with dupli-color engine enamel:

getting in that area was a little tough

Primer, color & clear, didn't even wet sand after. Kept the coats light, last coat was heavier.